Dierama pendulum var. robustum Blackberry Bells

Dierama 'Blackberry Bells', poetically called wandflower, Angel's Fishing Rod or Venus's Fishing Rod, is a truly enchanting perennial plant in full bloom. This hybrid cultivar forms a beautiful tuft of gramineous leaves from which long, flexible, and arched stems emerge in summer, displaying graceful, trembling, bell-shaped spikes in shades of violet, garnet, and rose-purple. It deserves a special place, whether in a large pot on a patio, planted individually, along a path, or in a border near a water feature. Relatively hardy, it spreads year after year in moist, well-drained soil.

Dierama 'Blackberry Bells' is a horticultural hybrid resulting from cross-breeding between D. pulcherrimum 'Cosmos' (with very dark purple flowers) and D. pendulum var. robustum, a hardier variety with large white flowers. It is an evergreen plant with corms belonging to the Iridaceae family, native to wet and marshy meadows of East Africa and South Africa. It resembles a grass, with an erect clump of green leaves resembling certain iris leaves. They are narrow and gramineous in shape. Reaching a height of 50cm (20in), it will eventually form a clump measuring 1m (3ft) in diameter at the base after many years. From June to August, long, thin, and sturdy stems, up to 1 to 1.5m (3 to 5ft) in length, emerge from the foliage, bending under the weight of the flowering. At their tips, they bear branched spikes of bell-shaped or tubular flowers, 8cm (3in) long, which open one after the other. The nectar-rich flowers attract numerous pollinating insects. The fertilised flowers give way to small oval capsules containing numerous small, hard brown seeds, which will germinate after the winter cold. Plants grown from seeds will flower after 5 to 7 years of cultivation. This variety reproduces quite faithfully through sowing.

Dierama 'Blackberry Bells' is so beautiful that it seems inhabited by a deity of moist places. Plant this marvel in a sunny spot with light and moist soil, and protect it in winter in cold regions. Its exceptional beauty is well worth the effort of growing it in the garden. This perennial is hardy to -10 to -12C° (14 to 10.4°F). It is very well suited to coastal areas, and can withstand wind carrying salty spray. It also thrives in a large pot filled with sand and compost. In the ground, it looks stunning alongside grasses (Miscanthus, Eragrostis, Panicum), or as a border plant, especially when the light shines through its flowering vegetation from behind. Near a pond, it can be planted with loosestrifes, ribbons of shepherd's purse, a purple phormium, and meadow rues (Thalictrum delavayi, Thalictrum flavum subsp. glaucum).